Beautiful and

Imposing New

Edifice of St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran

Congregation To

Be Consecrated.

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SPECIAL SERVICES IN GERMAN AND ENGLISH

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Free Dinner Will Be Served in Church Basement. Dedication of New Pipe Organ Monday Evening.

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Next Sunday, June 1, will be a gala day for the members of St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran congregation of Springfield,when the beautiful and imposing new church edifice, recently completed,will be dedicated with solemn and impressive ceremonies. Special services will be conducted in German and English, to which everyone is cordially invited. There will be appropriate vocal numbers by the male and mixed choruses of the congregation and Rev. Albert Wendt will render a solo. The act of consecration will be solemnized by the pastor, Rev. Wm. von Fischer, during the forenoon ser-vices, which begin at 9:30 o’clock, while Prof. H. Ernst, D. D., of St. Paul will deliver the dedicatory sermon. The services in the afternoon will commence at 2:30 o’clock, when Rev. C. Herrewig of Morgan will deliver the sermon. In the evening, at 7 o’clock, Rev. P. J. Haupt of Belle Plaine will speak in German, while Rev. Wm. J. Langholz of Wanda will deliver an English sermon.

Free Dinner at Noon.

During the noon hour, the ladies of the congregation will serve a free dinner in the basement of the new church, to which all those attending the dedicatory services are cordially invited.

Concert Monday Evening.

In commemoration of the dedication of the beautiful new pipe organ,a special concert will be rendered next Monday evening, June 2. At that time, Alexander Moench, professor of music at St. Paul, will preside at the organ. An exceptionally good program has been arranged for this occasion, including several vocal numbers by the male and mixed choruses and soloists of the congregation.There will be no charge for admission, but a collection will be taken up for the benefit of the organ fund. The public is invited to attend this concert.

An Imposing Structure.

The new St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran church of Springfield is an imposing structure and represents a noteworthy addition to the architecture of that enterprising little city. The building is of Gothic design, which is closely adhered to throughout the edifice,which is 64 feet wide and has an extreme length of 118 feet. The nave, or auditorium measures 50 feet across.

Two Massive Towers.

Two massive towers adorn the front of the church, one of which has a high spire, surmounted by a gold cross, while the other is a low,or short, tower. The building proper,above the first floor line, is of brick and stone and rests on a solid foundation, marked off in stone courses. The contrast between the darker brick of the church above, with the white of the foundation wall, is very pleasing. In fact, throughout the en-tire exterior, the courses of stone, the stone buttress caps and the stone sills, being light in color, lend variety and harmony to the mass of brick work.

Beautiful Entrance.

The main entrance of the church is large and ample for all occasions. It is of beautiful design, located between the two towers, and the three doors which constitute the main entrance, are approached by means of a broad flight of steps. These doorways are artistically decorated with carved stone work and the doors themselves are Gothic in design, in keeping with the main architectural plan. Another entrance is arranged through the Cass street side of the spired tower.

Modern Appointments.

A spacious vestibule is provided immediately inside the main entrance. From her, stairways lead to the balcony, and at the right of the vestibule a convenient ladies retiring room has been fitted out. Upon entering the auditorium, or nave, the distinctively Lutheran character of the interior becomes apparent. The altar and sanctuary are of a direct line along the center of the church. To the right of the sanctuary is the large pipe organ and the choir loft while the pulpit is just to the left of the sanctuary arch.

Seating Capacity 1,000.

The seating capacity of the beautiful new church is approximately 1,000; of which 200 can be accommodated in the balcony. Four massive ornamental wooden trusses of Gothic design, covering the huge steel trusses that support the roof, extend down below the ceiling proper. The appropriately designed stained glass windows have Gothic tracery. The balcony to the rear of the auditorium is shaped like a horseshoe and can be reached from the vestibule by two flights of stairs.

Rooms in Basement.

An instruction room, a spacious lecture hall and two rooms for the exclusive use of the Ladies’ aid and other ladies’ societies of the congregation, are provided in the large basement, which also houses the heating plant and equipment.

The erection of the beautiful and imposing new church edifice was a notable undertaking and shows the progressive spirit of the members of St. Paul’s church and their popular pastor, Rev. Wm. von Fischer. Its completion marks another interesting and important chapter in Springfield church annals.

Brown County Journal

May 30, 1924

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